"Ohmatdit" is not a military goal: Russian officials spread lies - isw

According to analysts, Russia had to warn the Ukrainian side before striking the Ohmatdit hospital. In addition, the Russian Federation did not provide evidence that a hospital full of sick children posed an inevitable threat to Russian troops. Representatives of the Russian authorities and propagandists want to lift responsibility for the missile strike at the Ohmatdit Children's Hospital in Kiev, which took place on July 8.

To do this, they spread false reports that Ohmatdit is a military hospital and therefore a legitimate military goal. This is stated in the report of the American Institute of War Study (ISW) for July 8, 2024. "Russian officials and information space entities are trying to lift responsibility for the shelling of the Okhmatdit Children's Hospital, making false statements about the missile and hospital status - all this is contrary to the available evidence," the report reads.

In particular, the Russians make false statements that Ukraine is using part or the entire hospital to treat wounded Ukrainian soldiers, that Ukraine stores missiles in the hospital, and that Ukrainian air defense missiles were hit by the hospital, not the Russian missile.

Analysts have explained that the rocket flight trajectory and a visible turbouoable engine under its case coincide with the trajectory of the Russian Rusage X-101 and did not confirm that it was a air defense trainer, as well as that the rocket does not look damaged. "Russian information operations that falsely depict Ohmatdit Children's Hospital as partially or fully a military hospital, mistakenly suggest that such a hospital is by its essence a legitimate military goal.

Ukraine, which takes up to 18,000 children a year, " - said in ISW. Analysts reminded that Article 19 of the Geneva Convention for the Protection of Civilian Population during the war signed by Russia claims that the international legal protection of civilian hospitals does not stop unless the hospital performs "actions that harm the enemy. " On the contrary, the same article directly excludes the presence of sick or wounded servicemen as an action that "causes damage to the enemy.

" "Article 19 also argues that the" enemy "should make a warning before attacking a hospital that allegedly contains a" harmful "military goal, and no Russian source states that the Russian authorities have made such a warning and did not provide evidence that a hospital, full of sick children, posed an inevitable threat to Russian troops, " - waswed.

In addition, the American Institute of War Study stated that the statement of the Russian Ministry of Defense that it was a Ukrainian air defense interceptor in civilian objects, also does not release Russian troops from responsibility for strike. "Russia is an aggressor state in this war, and Ukraine would not have to defend themselves from Russian blows if Russia did not start a full-scale invasion and would not cause regular missile strokes in Ukraine," the report reads.